Averill Park CSD Families
As expected, COVID-19 guidance for schools in New York State continues to evolve. Last week, the New York State Department of Health outlined changes that are taking place and released a document containing an FAQ, as well.
This new guidance includes updates on contact tracing, quarantine and isolation, and more. The New York State Department of Health is halting their contact tracing program. Therefore, parents will not receive a phone call from the DOH going forward.
The new guidance states that school districts are not “required to do contact tracing when students or staff test positive for, develop symptoms of, or are exposed to COVID-19.” That being said, Averill Park CSD will continue to identify close contacts of positive COVID-19 students and staff members. If you are notified by the school district that your child is a close contact, you should follow the guidance from the state DOH found here. The state also provided a quarantine and isolation chart, which can be viewed here. You will no longer receive quarantine and isolation affirmation or release forms. Individuals are expected to do these on their own, they can be found here: quarantine, isolation.
Based on the current surge in cases throughout the community, the District will extend its virtual option for at-risk students for this week. Thank you for your patience and cooperation as we continue to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic.